Gov. Paul LePage has used his line-item veto power to excise two portions on the Maine budget balancing bill that was sent to his desk late last week.

The Republican governor on Saturday exercised the seldom-used power in hopes of changing the roughly $40 million supplemental budget. He did not think cuts the Legislature authorized for general assistance, the all-purpose welfare program run by cities and towns, were deep enough.

LePage also vetoed the portion of the budget bill that authorizes Medicaid funding to house people involuntarily in secure public institutions, such as the state mental hospital. The governor said that's not allowed under federal rules.

The Maine Constitution says a majority of all the elected members in each House is sufficient to override the line-item veto.